Shattered Hearts
by Rozalin Lindsey
Summary: Haruka and Michiru have lost something dear to them, and now they must move on.
1. Chapter 1

They had just purchases their dream home. It had been for sale for a few months, and it was too expensive for most people who would love to make it their own. Sitting across from the ocean, it almost glimmed in the sunlight, and it seems that when the tide would swoosh in, it would welcome them at their doorstop.

Inside was spacious, enough for a family of ten to easily fit into. Eight grand rooms, with at least one window facing the sea and its fabulous beach. It was also, after its older purchase, was custom made to have a music/art/dance studio, and its attached two-story garage built to satisfy its occuipants.

Furinture, artifacts, and the decor were flown from designers and manufactures from around world, the walls were once decorated in paintings, and pictures of a little girl with big eyes and purple hair, and a few CDs in gold cases, as well as some racing atuographed pictures and figurines.

It was just a house! Everyone would agree, a very fancy, house, but all the same, just a house!

But not to Michiru it wasn't. She had lived there for years with her family. It was filled with many a momory; scrapped knees, christmases, birthday parties, dead goldfish, and the infamous dance lesson.

She sat in the car, staring out the window at the new couple stading next to the realtors sign. Haruka shook their hands and nooded in converstaion. Michiru couldn't bring herself to be out there with her partner, she know she should, but....she just...couldn't. It was too hard.

Soft ricochets of laughter from outside drifted into the serenity of the car, and Michiru felt a tug at her heart. Happiness didn't come easy to her anymore. She looked away from the window to her feet. Tears slowly and painfully began to sting at her eyes and blurring her vision.

NO!

She was sick of crying, the tears felt like little fits of despair clinging onto her. In her heart she knew she had to let go, but how can someone just do it? Let go of the precious memories and feelings she's had for so long.

It isn't the same without Hortaru. Her and Haruka's Hotaru.

"She's supposed to be here," Michiru whispered through her tears as she heard the door open next to her.

Haruka slid into the drivers seat and shut the door. She looked at the steering wheel, and then over to Michiru, her head bowed. Harkua tilited her head, and put her hand on Michiru's knee.

"You alright, Michi?" she asked, softly. Michiru shook her head.

"No, 'Ruka, I'm not ok. How can I be?" She raised her head and looked at her. Haruka brushed the hair away from her face, and sighed.

"I know its hard, Michi, we will miss her so much. But, you know this is for the best." Michiru nodded.

"Hai."

Haruka turned back to the steering wheel and turned on the ignition, and put the car into drive. Slowly they retreated out of the property that once was their own, and the awkward silence ate at both of them.

Michiru looked out the windshield, tears still flowing down her cheeks. She had to bury her daughter, and now sell her house? What has this world come too?


	2. Chapter 2

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Hello all! Sorry for the lack of introduction in my last installment of Shattered Harts.

So, I put that last one up as a "trial run" to see if it would bomb or not, but apparently it hasn't, so I decided to continue with it! YAY!

But, I also have to ask you all, if you do want to leave a review, let me know if you want this chapter to be here or later in the timeline? I have mixed feelings about that, and you're input would be amazing!

Thanks to all who read and left reviews....^_^ you have made my day! *~RL

*~*~

Michiru sat in the car as the rain poured down outside making the sky dark and unwelcoming. She gripped the wheel and looked ahead blankly at the concrete wall. Haruka was off on a tour with her racecar in the Formula 1 circuit, so she couldn't attend with her.

Sighing, Michiru reached for her umbrella, and slowly opened the door. She opened the unbrella and stepped out into the rain. She walked across the parking lot and into the sliding glass doors.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked down the cold corridor. Hospitals always made her uneasy, but, she hadn't been in one since...

She stopped at a conference room, its doors wide open, and the smell off coffee and the sight of cookies and other goodies offered a friendly welcome. Slowly walking in, she took short, deep breaths in a poor effort to comfort herself. It didn't work. Feeling uneasy, she walked over to the circle of chairs.

Sitting on the hard plastic chair that was offered. Other men and women began to file into the room as she sat with her hands in her lap, her face pale and emotionless. She fidgeted in her seat, it didn't feel right to be alone like this.

A woman with brown hair pulled into a bun walked to the front of the room and cleared her throat. There really wasn't a need for this, there was no noise.

"Welcome everyone, I am Mitsuki," she said, bringing her hands together, "Thank you all for coming tonight. I know on a day like this, its hard to leave your warm homes." She smiled slightly and took a seat in front of everyone.

"As you all know, this is a support group for parents who have lost their children. Many of you are familiar faces, and some of you are a new friend waiting to be made. So, if I may," she pulled out a pair of glasses and placed them on her nose, her eyes peering over them, "Have everyone who hasn't been to one of our meetings please stand up." She cast a look around the circle.

Michiru hesitated, and stood up. Her cheeks flushed a light pink when she noticed that she was the only one standing up.

"Now, in order to get to know you better, would you please state your name, the name of your child, and how they died, please?" the woman smiled at her and gave her a nod.

"Hi, I am Kaioh Michiru-"

"Hello Michiru," the group chanted, and that took her by surprise.

"I....I...just recently lost my daughter, Hotaru in an...an," she stopped and shallowed the lump that had jumped into her throat. Trying to fight her tears, the women in the front stood up.

"Thank you, Miss Kaioh, please, have a seat," Michiru sat down and blinked away her tears.

Setsuna has told her that the support group may help her. It was worth a shot, but, she really wished Haruka could be here with her. After all, Hotaru was her daughter too! She worried about Haruka, she seemed to work more and more on her cars and run more than she ever had. Nights at the dinner table were the worst, even though they had moved to a new house, the table still had a spot for Hotaru, that always stayed empty.

"Now, I would like for everyone to stand up, state your name, please," the woman said and turned to the lady to her left. She stood up and began to tell her tale.

Michiru only looked like she was listening, but she couldn't bare to hear. She was dying slowly inside, and this wasn't helping. She noticed the woman watching her with concerened eyes and scrible every so often on her tablet had sat on her lap.

Sudden clapping brought her out of her revine and she looked up.

"Nice to see you all again and nice to meet you," she smiled. Clearing her throat, she started "Do I have anyone who would like to share their tale with the group?" she looked around and saw no one edgar to participate. Frowning, she looked at Michiru.

"Would you like to share, Miss Kaioh?" she asked pleasantly. Michiru shook her head violently. Nodding understandly, Mitsuki cleared her throat.

"So, if we aren't going to have any volunteers....are we going to have to have the "psychological" dicussion instead?" She sighed again in slight frustration when she got no response again.

Standing up, she chuckled, and pulled down a screen from the ceiling.

"Well, alright then, if that is what you want," she walked to the back of the room and pulled out a projector.

As she began her lesson, she noticed everyone sitting in a depressive daze. Sighing again, she stopped her lesson.

"Alright, everyone, I think this is enough for today. I don't know what is going on with everyone today," she walked back to the front of the room. "But, there will be another meeting next Tuesday night, so, please feel free to come back. In the meantime, please help yourself to refreshment and goodies over on the table before you leave." She smiled and started to put things away.

Michiru couldn't leave fast enough.


End file.
